Originally published at cigna.com. Cigna ranked No. 42 on The Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list in 2020.
Cigna, a leading global health service company, and Oscar Health, Inc. (“Oscar”) (NYSE: OSCR), the first health insurance company built on a full stack technology platform, today announced that Cigna + Oscar small business health insurance will be available in the Bay Area, Central Coast, Greater Sacramento, Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, North Bay, and San Diego regions.
“Small businesses are the heart of the economy, and of their local communities. Now more than ever, they need affordable health insurance that works for them and their employees,” said Bruce Grimm, Cigna’s senior vice president of segments. “Cigna + Oscar brings together Cigna’s nationwide and local provider networks, and Oscar’s member-focused experience, to deliver small group health insurance for the unique needs of small businesses. We are excited to bring this innovative partnership to California to help small businesses prioritize their employees’ health needs.”
Businesses all across California have been fighting to keep their doors open since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As small businesses plan for the future, 88% surveyed by Cigna + Oscar are prioritizing employee health, and 66% said health insurance is more important in their budgets now than prior to the pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted us all, especially small businesses, in ways that no one could have imagined,” said Louis DeStefano, head of the small group business and senior vice president of growth at Oscar. “Cigna + Oscar provides a solution for the unique challenges that small businesses face by offering a variety of services that meet their employees’ health needs, and at a cost that helps make it possible to keep their doors open.”
California small businesses with between one and 100 employees2 will have access to unique services driven by the combination of Cigna’s provider relationships and Oscar’s consumer-centric, tech-driven approach to customer service and care navigation, including:
- Expected monthly savings for businesses and their employees.
- Range of plan options across price points to meet the needs of every employee.
- Behavioral health benefits, with specialized coaching support to help keep teams productive and healthy.
- Local and nationwide networks of quality doctors, hospitals, and specialists.
- Cigna LocalPlus®, a locally designed network of quality providers offering quality, cost-effective medical care.
- Cigna Open Access Plus network, a national network of quality, cost-effective providers.
- 24/7 virtual urgent care to support employees wherever they are, at $0 co-pay.
- Affordable and easy-to-access pharmacy services.
- Express Scripts pharmacists, nurses and specialty drug experts.
- Dedicated care team experts to help employees understand their benefits, find nearby care and get the most value out of their plan.
Cigna and Oscar will share the risk equally under a reinsurance agreement for solutions offered through this strategic partnership and plan to expand the partnership over time.
